Ten years ago this month, I discovered I had developed Type 2 diabetes despite eating what “they” said would prevent it (low fat, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) after having gestational diabetes. Through research and being my own guinea pig, I found that eating very low carb is the only way to control my diabetes without meds. I also found out that most of what we had been told about low carb eating (including fat and cholesterol) was false and that carbs are the true culprits in many diseases and conditions.
A nice side benefit to starting a low carb lifestyle was losing the 60 lbs I had fought a losing battle to avoid packing on (despite paying a lot of money for low fat diet plans and food). Admittedly, the last 10 lbs or so are difficult to lose and keep off and it’s a battle I’m still fighting every day, but watching the first 40 lbs or so melt off easily was so gratifying! I couldn’t believe it was as easy as restricting the carbs in my diet. Why hadn’t someone told me this earlier (without the dire warnings that I would die of a heart attack if I ate meat and fat on a “fad” diet)?
Just like for other people, giving up favorite carby foods wasn’t easy. Once in awhile I still have days when I wish I could just throw caution to the wind and eat whatever I want whenever I want. But I know I will feel awful if I do and my body will spend the next 3 or 4 months getting rid of the cells that were bathed in all that excess glucose. It’s not worth the temporary gratification to do possible permanent damage to myself.
When I have a craving for something I can’t have, I look for alternatives that will scratch that itch without harming my body. Sometimes that alternative is a low carb version of the thing I’m craving; sometimes it’s something new entirely that distracts me from the thing I can’t have. Combining ingredients my body likes into delicious recipes is what gets me through the times when I get bored or tired of my eating plan.
I also look for new low carb items to add to my list of acceptable foods. My latest additions are the lower salt version of Popped Cheese and the sesame flavored Annie Chun’s Seaweed Snacks. These don’t have added sugars or starches and fit well into my Low Carbing on the Go plan. I can sub the Popped Cheese for dinner and the Seaweed Snacks for the evening snack, which makes the plan even easier and/or more portable.
I have also been subbing my Low Carb No-Bake Chocolate Cookies for the Perfectly Easy Low Carb Chocolate Pudding with good results. Switching things up while sticking to the basic plan like this keeps my meals interesting and satisfying. On weekends, I like to eat out and enjoy a juicy steak and fresh green salad. Then it’s back to my usual plan during the week.
After 10 years of living a low carb lifestyle, I am sure this is not only a healthy way of eating, but I believe it is the healthiest way of eating for everyone, not just those who are controlling their weight and/or blood sugar levels. Those who spout misinformation about needing to eat carbs to be healthy are doing a great disservice to people who don’t know any better than to listen to them.
Despite still living with diabetes, thyroid disease, etc, I am healthier now than I was 10 years ago when I first started living a low carb lifestyle. This is not a fad; it’s a lifetime of living in a healthy way with delicious food choices. Here’s to many more decades of delicious low carb living!
